Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 27, 1994 TAG: 9405280003
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BECKY HEPLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Long
You can see for yourself, however, at the Old Church Gallery and the Floyd County Historical Society's latest exhibit, "Simpson, Turtle Rock, Vocal and Nasturtium; Early History of the Floyd Community Post Office." The exhibit examines the traditions and accoutrements of the Postal Service and Rural Free Delivery in Floyd County.
Stamp collector and Floyd resident Dick Giessler served as guest curator for the exhibit, working with exhibit coordinators Kathleen Ingoldsby and Ann-Margaret Shortt. It was the historical aspect that appealed to Giessler. "Stamp collecting is more than just colorful bits of paper," he said.
While one hundred post offices seem like a lot, Ingoldsby said the Service covered smaller areas in the early days when people walked or rode horses. Also, since the post offices were often in people's homes, it kept down the number of people who would be knocking on the door, asking for their mail, since there was no home delivery.
A few of the 100 listed post offices were multiples of the same location. Greasy Creek, 1840-1880, Hylton,1880-1894 and Willis, 1894 -present, are essentially the same post office. Still, most represented individual communities and settlements throughout the county.
The plethora of post offices showed some creativity in naming places, which the postmasters could do. Some merely used their own names, such as in Basham, Elmetta, Leila, Phillips and Rakes. Other addresses, such as Burkes Fork, Little River and Alum Ridge, reflected the geography. One of Ingoldsby's and Giessler's favorite stories concerned James Earles, first postmaster of Nasturtium, who chose his mother's favorite flower.
Some of the postmasters must have had a classical background, leading to the post offices of Carthage, Pizarro and Pharo. Ingoldsby suggested that the Aria post office, which succeded the post office of Graysville, reflected the opera-loving nature of first postmistress, Elizabeth Wertz.
Other post offices leave no stories but names that beg for them. What could have prompted someone to pick Vocal, Ego or Flat Head as addresses?
Stories notwithstanding, the real importance of the community post offices was economic. "These post offices did more for economic development than any other instrument," Ingoldsby said. "It opened the farmers to outgoing markets and brought the world to these individual communities." Giessler pointed out the Postal System's willingness to deliver what we may consider "junk mail," the advertisments of business and industry, at cut-rate prices as another force for commerce.
The proliferation of post offices led to naming regulations to reduce confusion and ensure the delivery of the mail. Part of the exhibit is an 1894 directive from the Postmaster General regarding how post offices would be named. Short names were better than long ones and places couldn't distinguish themselves from other places by a mere addition of community words such as "City," "Village" or "Burg," directional words such as "North" and a host of other naming strategies.
The exhibit also looks at the Rural Free Delivery system, established in Floyd in 1903. In exchange for residents maintaining the route, the Postal System would deliver the mail to their homes. This was the beginning of the end for the many small post offices throughout the county.
The automobile, which first came to Floyd in 1914, was another force in closing many community post offices. "Postal routes could be extended from 25 miles to 50 miles," Ingoldsby said. A third force was the replacement of patronage with the Civil Service. Once the job was based on merit rather than political support, efficiency could be a factor. "Plus," said Giessler, " there was only so much money to pay all these postmasters. Fewer postmasters meant more pay for the ones remaining."
The combination of these events meant that by 1916, Floyd's post office roster had been pared to 18 sites (Pizarro, Carthage, Smart and Aria made this cut.). By 1953, there were nine, today there are five and Indian Valley is on a list of possible closings the next time the Postal Service takes this step. Giessler bemoaned the closings.
"Everytime a community loses its post office, it loses its identity and its connection to a larger world," he said. "It's a place to gather and chat. I kept a post office box for years just for this very social reason. Why else would you pay money for a service that's free and delivered to your home?"
Giessler told the story of one elderly lady whose store used to serve as the community post office. When it closed, her gasoline and grocery business fell off considerably. But mostly she was incredibly lonely. "I can see her point of view," he said.
Still, the American people want efficiency. For all the jokes about the Postal Service, Giessler thinks its still the most efficient system in the world, especially when considering its size and its mission to provide home delivery six days a week.
The exhibit runs through June 11, on Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in the Old Church Gallery on Wilson Street (behind the Easy Stop on Main Street). There is no admission. The gallery's monthly art exhibit features pencil artist Jason Tuller in June and well-known watercolorist Joan Henley in July.
by CNB